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Namco 'looking for the right time' to discuss Tekken X Street Fighter
Tekken series producer Katsuhiro Harada told Siliconera today that Tekken X Street Fighter is still in development, with Namco waiting for the right time to present it after it announced the game almost three years ago. "We will say first off that the game is still in development, so you don't need to worry about that. There are several reasons why we haven't released any updates. One of the reasons is, Street Fighter X Tekken was released. That still had updates until recently." Harada added that Street Fighter X Tekken managed to cultivate a new audience, one that wasn't already invested in either of the titular fighters it draws from. "That was very unexpected, but quite cool. It's something we want to take care and grow. Rather than throw out our title right away while those people are still interested in [Street Fighter X Tekken] we are looking for the right time because we are still developing [Tekken X Street Fighter]." The last update Harada provided on the game was back in March, when he announced Namco was looking at "changing and considering platform strategy."
Dark Souls modder introduces first-person punishment
YouTuber Soul Slasher has come up with a way to make Dark Souls a more classic RPG experience in the vein of King's Field, by switching the player perspective from third-person to first-person. Soul Slasher explains in the video above that this effect was accomplished through the use of several third-party programs, including his own custom HUD mod. Unfortunately, this first-person mod isn't available to the general adventuring public. Dark Souls is an open-world action game developed at From Software categorized by its extreme difficulty and minimalist plot. Its sequel, Dark Souls 2, is slated to launch in March 2014.
'Female Vampire' wins Tekken Revolution fan vote
A poll on Facebook asked fans a few weeks back which of several proposed concept characters they would like to see fully realized in Tekken Revolution. The poll narrowed it down to three potential fighters and, during a presentation at Comic Con last weekend in San Diego, fans selected a winner in "Female Vampire." Attendees were able to choose from "Female Vampire," "Sexy Tekken Force" and "Shin Kamiya," the top three winners of the original Facebook fan poll. Then, by a show of hands, "Female Vampire" emerged victorious. The Tekken Revolution development team will work to add her to the roster immediately, with a planned entrance penciled in for sometime in the fall. Tekken Revolution is a PS3 exclusive free-to-play version of Namco's long-running fighting series. A significant update, which will add a practice mode, new playable characters and customization options, is planned for later this month in North America.
Project X Zone review: Xs and Os
Project X Zone is a massive strategy RPG crossover featuring characters from Capcom, Namco-Bandai, and Sega games fighting it out with each other. It's essentially a sequel to 2004's Namco x Capcom, a heavily Super Robot Wars-inspired collaboration that never received a Western release. In the same vein, Project X Zone caters very, very strongly to fans of Japanese games, and its cast of characters is undeniably its biggest selling point. Coupled with an entertaining combat engine, these characters and their interactions prop up what is otherwise a very basic strategy game.%Gallery-176869%
Namco Bandai's year-end revenues rise despite missing Tekken target
Namco Bandai released its financial results for the end of its fiscal year today, noting increased earnings in multiple sectors despite missing sales targets for Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Tales of Xillia 2. The company's worldwide net sales grew by 7.3 percent, ending this fiscal year at ¥487 billion (approximately $4.9B), compared to last year's earnings of ¥434 billion. Namco Bandai's net income for the year ending March 31, 2013 was ¥32.4 billion ($327M), a 67.8 percent increase over last year's reported ¥19.3 billion. Regional sales saw significant boosts. Net sales of Namco Bandai products in Japan increased 7.3 percent year-over-year to ¥406 billion ($4.1B), while sales for the Americas rose 38.3 percent, finishing at ¥33.6 billion ($339M). The report additionally reveals that Namco Bandai failed to meet shipping targets for some of its key titles. Siliconera notes that Namco Bandai expected to ship 1.7 million units of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 worldwide, but came up short at 1.5 million. The Japan-exclusive RPG Tales of Xillia 2 shipped 500,000, missing its initial target of 650,000 units. Other big titles for the company include SoulCalibur V, which shipped 1.05 million units worldwide in the fiscal year ending in March, and two entries in its Naruto Shippuden series, which shipped a combined 1.76 million units across all regions.
Katamari Damacy rolls onto PSN as PS2 Classic next week
Katamari Damacy is part of next week's PlayStation Store update. So if on April 30 you see a massive ball of clumped-together games where the PSN should be, you'll know what's up.The game, first released in North America almost ten years ago, will come to PSN as a PS2 Classic. That means it's playable on PS3, but not Vita. If you need a portable fix of rollable crazy, there's always Touch My Katamari.
Namco's Idolm@ster games released on iOS in English (for $55 each)
Namco Bandai's Idolm@ster games have been exclusive to Japan since the series started, and for good reason: they're all about being a producer who recruits, trains, and promotes a girl group of "idol" performers. It's a huge sensation in Japan, and would meet mostly blank stares over here.And now, Namco is helping generate those blank stares, releasing three Idolm@ster games, in English, on the iOS App Store. The catch: they're rhythm game spinoffs, without any of the simulation aspects. The real catch: they're $54.99 each. They're the same, except each stars a different team of erstwhile idols and includes a different animated sequence.Square Enix just breathed a massive sigh of relief, as the pressure is off of its insane iOS pricing tendencies for a while.
Tamagotchi breathes new 'L.i.f.e.' into Android today
No, it's not your personal Tamagotchi – that poor critter is still a ghost haunting the silicon chip inside your keychain, locked away in a box somewhere in the attic of your childhood home. Today, a new Android app called Tamagotchi L.i.f.e. is available as a free ad-supported download, emulating all of the same functionality found in that digital creature craze of the 90s.Tamagotchi L.i.f.e. is only available on Android (running 2.3 and up) thus far, but developer Sync Beatz promises it's coming to Apple devices too, according to a report on Techland. Aside from taking care of a Tamagotchi, the app also has plenty of unlockables: wallpapers, new Tamagotchi, different cosmetic options for your shell and different backgrounds. There's also a mode in which you can directly interact with your Tamagotchi and play a game of rock, paper, scissors using touch-screen controls.
Nintendo's Wii U gets first free-to-play game as TANK! TANK! TANK! gets divided on eShop
Namco's TANK! TANK! TANK! may have a great title, but it looks like its sales trajectory wasn't too far off from its name. The bizarre Wii U tank battle game is going free-to-play as of this week's eShop update -- at least in Europe -- dividing the game into three pieces based on game modes, each costing £1.59 (€1.99). Should you choose to not pay Namco's light toll, you can play each of the game's modes for free three times per day -- that toll raises to £7.99 (€9.99) apiece after February 28th, so you may want to act quickly. The new pricing and division of the game goes into effect this Thursday, when the EU's Wii U eShop updates.
Namco games and more on sale for iOS this weekend
We're likely to see quite a few iOS games go on sale this week and next, as the holiday season (Too soon? Sorry!) revs up into gear. Namco has led the pack off this year, with a nice long list of holiday sales on its apps. Through Monday the 19th, nearly all of Namco's games are cheaper than usual. Soulcalibur is down to US$6.99 in a universal form, the Dig Dug and Galaga remix games are just a buck each, the great Pac Man Championship Edition is just 99 cents (that's a must-buy at that price), and I Love Katamari is down to $1.99. There are a few other deals in Namco's catalog, but those are definitely the standouts. Elsewhere on the App Store, Worms 2: Armageddon is down to just 99 cents, which is an excellent deal. Kairosoft's great racing team simulator Grand Prix Story is only 99 cents as well, so be ready to lose your weekend playing that one. Finally, Puzzle Craft, which is my favorite iOS game of the year so far, is completely free this weekend. That's a must-grab for sure -- that game's mix of puzzle gameplay and very deep progression was a huge win for me this year. If you haven't picked up Puzzle Craft yet, definitely get it. Stay tuned for lots more big deals and app sales on the store this week.
Macross 30 coming from Namco Bandai
During the Tokyo Game Show Namco Bandai announced a new game in the Macross series called Macross 30. The game will launch some time in 2013.The lone detail known about the game is that its theme song will be sung by Haruka Chisuga, the winner of the 2012 "Miss Macross 30" competition. Had we been aware of the competition that bears the name of the new game, this Macross 30 announcement would have been less of a surprise.
Joystiq scores over 9,000 in Dragon Ball Z: Kinect
During Namco Bandai's TGS 2012 showcase event, I got a chance to try out Dragon Ball Z: Kinect. This might be a good time to admit that, yes, I was young once. Check out the video above for my experience with the Kinect-powered kamehameha simulator. Just be warned it ... it gets a little geeky in there.
Take a tour of Namco Bandai's Tokyo headquarters
Namco Bandai held a preview event prior to the Tokyo Game Show this year. Rather than doing so in a hotel or a lavish club, however, the company brought gaming press to its headquarters in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Check out the video above and the gallery below for a look at Namco's massive HQ, featuring Gundams, a waterfall and more Pac-Man than you can shake a stick at.%Gallery-165947%
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 review: Bear punching at its very finest
You guys remember in Adventure Time, when Jake the Dog takes all the good food in the world, wraps it up in a giant tortilla and makes the Everything Burrito? That's what Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is like, and it's delicious. Everything that's ever been good about Tekken is in here, from its surprisingly deep, accessible gameplay mechanics to its bombastic and hilarious attitude – all presented in a package more polished and refined than ever before.By sticking with the same ideas that have driven this series for the last 18 years, rather than attempting to reinvent the series or fighting games as a genre, Namco Bandai has produced the best, most complete Tekken there's ever been. It has also, perhaps inadvertently, published a dissertation on how to design an incredibly solid, full-featured fighting game.%Gallery-157204%
15 minutes of Ni no Kuni footage straight from Gamescom (bonus: British hosts!)
The Gamescom demo of Ni no Kuni was hands-on and, as expected, full of adorable moments. GameSpot UK's editor supreme Guy Cocker narrates the proceedings alongside Namco's Hollie Bennett, which can be seen above.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 trailer takes us to the Fight Lab
Contrary to popular belief, not all fights take place atop skyscrapers or in some snow-swept bamboo thicket. Nope, sometimes people fight high-tech robots in cozy laboratory settings.
Street Fighter X Tekken Vita hitting Europe on October 19
Here's hoping you Europeans and your Vitas are ready to rumble, as Street Fighter X Tekken for Sony's handheld got a release date this morning of October 19. That's a full four days before your North American counterparts get their grubby mitts on the cross-publisher portable fighter, meaning you'll have a full 96 hours of practice time with which to become a master of Shadowloo.It also gives you some time to study up on your American English smack talk. Here, we'll get you started: "I do declare my good sir, your pugilistic pugnacity is that of a homeschooled hill person!" Gets 'em every time!
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 trailers lay down some jawbreaking combos
The trailer above is a good primer for all of the features included in Tekken Tag Tournament 2, and the one after shows what happens once you start playing.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 now has a dinosaur with boxing gloves named Alex
We could just tell you straight up about the five Teken Tag Tournament 2 characters that Namco revealed today, but wouldn't watching a trailer with a boxing dinosaur be more fun? What if we told you he fights a bear? What if we told you he beats the suds out of that bear? There you go!
Project X Zone has more than 200 characters
The Capcom, Sega, and Namco 3DS crossover game Project X Zone will feature over 200 characters, according to a post on the game's official blog, as translated by Andriasang. This number refers to a combination of allies and enemies, and doesn't account for event scene-only characters, all of which will reportedly come from franchises spanning the three brands.Project X Zone is being developed by Nintendo-owned Monolith Soft, which created the spiritual precursor to the game for PS2, Namco X Capcom.
